Improved machine for ramming percussion-caps



@ZW/fifa@ /Q my NPETERs. 'PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C l UNiTED STATI-3s CHARLES HICKS, OF IIAVERSTRAV, NEW' YORK.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR RAIVIMING PERCUSSION-CAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. l6,'17, (lilid FObTUHTy 10, 1857- To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Hicks of Haverstraw, in the county of Rockland and State ofv New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Ramming the Charges of Percussion-Caps; .and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, `forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same in the line a: a' of Fig. l. Fig; 3 is a plan of the chargingpistons, the rack and pinions by which motion on their axes is imparted to them, and the cam and other appliances by which motion is given to the said rack and pinions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures.

This invention consists in the combination of a number of pistons having areciprocating rectilinear motion and a motion on their axes, with suitable means of carrying a number of charged caps and presenting the same in a proper manner to the operation of the said pistons to ram the powder.

g `To enable others to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Y A is a table supported on standards B B.

G C are two upright guide-posts erected opposite each other on the table A, to receive and guide a vertically-moving frame, D D D2 D3,- which carries a number of upright pistons E E, arranged at equal distances apart in the same plane, the said pistons being fitted to turn freely and work longitudinally in suitable guides or bearings in the two bars D D of the .vertically-moving frame, and being severally of such size as to enter easily into the caps to be rammed, some of which are shown in section in red color in Fig. l in the carryingplate F. The pistons are pressed downward by separate springs a c, which are coiled round a number of guide-rods Z) b, which are iitted loosely into the top rail, D2, of the verticallymoving frame, and whose bottoms are made cap-shaped to t over the heads of the pistons. Each piston is provided with a pinion, c, through which it receives motion from a toothed rack, G, that is Qtted to slide laterally in suitable guides in the bars D D of the vertically-moving frame, and the said pinions c also serve to hold up the pistons against the pressure of the springs ay a, by resting ony the bar D.

H is a double-cranked shaft, working in bearings in two hangers, I I, below the table A, and having a rotary motion imparted to it by any suitable agency, to drive the different parts of the machine, its cranks serving to give through the rods V V a reciprocating vertical motion in the guides C C to the frame D D DL D3 and the pistons E. Near one end of this shaft H there is a grooved cam, J, which acts upon one end of a lever, K, of the first order, whose fulcrum d is in a bracket secured to one side of the table A, and whose opposite end is connected by a rod, L, to the sliding rack G, for the purpose of giving a reciprocating longitudinal motion thereto, to cause the pinions c c, and hence the pinions E E also, to have a reciprocating circular motion on their axes. Y

M is a ratchet-bar sliding in a groove in the table A, in a direction at right angles to thev row of pistons, said bar deriving a longitudinal motion in the direction indicated by the arrow shown on it in Fig. 1 from a pawl,

to one tooth of the ratchet every time the pis` tons are raised. The carrying-plate F contains a number of holes, M, of such form as to contain the caps in an upright position, with their mouths upward, said holes being in parallel rows at a distance apart equal to the distance between the pistons. The length of the teeth ofthe ratchet-bar M corresponds exactly with the distance between the rows' of holes in the carrying-plate; and hence the carryingplate moves just far enough every time the pistons are raised to present a new row of charged caps directly under the row of pistonsa cap under each piston.

P is a weight connected with the ratchetbar N, by a cord, j, that passes overa pulley, O, at the front end of the table, said weight operating to draw back the ratchet-bar.

Q is apawl workingA on a iiXed pin, k, and engaging with the teeth of the ratchet-bar to prevent the said bar being drawn back by the weight l? when the pawl e returns after moving the ratchet-bar.

R is a bar moving longitudinally upon two studs, Z Z, secured to two small standards, S S, that are secured to the table A, and the latter of which, S, carries the pin k of the pawl Q. This bar R carries two pins, pp, which, when the baris moved backward by a hand-lever, T, lift up the pawls e and Q and allow the ratchetbar to be drawn forward by the weight l?. This bar R is held back until it is desired to draw forward the ratchet-bar by means of a spring, m.

V is a plate secured in a stationary position above the table A, and below the frame D Dl D2 D2, and provided with a number of holes so arranged and of such size that the pistons will just pass through them. This plate serves to pull from the pistons as they rise any caps that may adhere to them after the ramming operation, and cause the said caps to drop into their proper holes i i in the carrying-plate.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Before commencing, the ratchet-bar M is supposed to have been drawn forward by th e weight P, which brings it to such a position that when the carrying-plate .is placed on the pins 7L by an attendant it stands entirely in front of the row of pistons. On motion being given to the shaft H the ratchet-bar is moved forward tooth by tooths, and the pistons receive a reciprocating, rectilinear, and also a'circular, motion, and by the former of which motions they are caused to descend into the caps to the bottoms thereof, while by the latter they.

are caused to distribute the powder over the bottoms of the caps and incorporate it with the varnish or adhesive material with which the bottoms of the caps have been prepared before receiving the powder, the springs a a giving the necessary pressure tothe pistons to enable the distribution to be effected. It must be noticed that the pistons are so arranged in the vertical sliding frame that the latter descends a little farther after the pistons reach the bottoms of the caps, thus leaving the pistons in contact with the bottoms of the caps for a short time subject to the pressure of the springs a a. Af'ter one row of caps on the plate F has been subjected to the rammimg operation, as above described, and the pistons have been raised out of them, the ratchetbar is operated by the pawl e to move back the carrying-plate to present a new row under the pistons; and in this way the operation is repeated till every row of caps has passed under and been subjected to the operation of the pistons, after which the machine is stopped and the hand-lever T pushed forward by the attendant to raise the pawls e and Q out of the ratchet-bar, and allow it to be drawn forward far enough to admit of the plate full of rammed caps to be taken from the machine and a plate full of fresh-charged ones to be put in to be subjected to the same operation. The caps are removed from the plate F after it is taken from the machine by placing the said plate on an inclined plane, U, (shown in Fig. 4 in section,) on which there are a number of small pins, r 1', of a proper size to enter small holes at the bottom of the holes i i, in which the caps are contained, and by that means the caps are caused to be discharged from the plate by the pins r o and to roll down the inclined plane into a suitable receptacle.

Vhat I claimv as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The pistons E E, arranged in a row and receiving reciprocating, rectilinear, and circular movements simultaneously, operating in combination with the traveling carrying-plate or other equivalent device for carrying the caps, substantially as herein described.

2. Producing the circular movement of the x pistons by means of pinions c c on the said pistons gearing with a toothed rack, G, that receives a slidingmovement laterally to the frame which carries the pistons, and imparts to them the rectilinear movement from a lever, K, operated by a cam, J, on the crank-shaft, by which the rectilinear movement of the pistons is produced, substantially as herein described.

8. The employment of the stationary plate NV, in combination with the reciprocating pistons and the traveling carrying-plate F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES HICKS.

Vitn ess es:

XV. HIcKs, ROBERT CaIRNs. 

